The ruling party in Malaysia (UMNO) invited Dr. Saad Katatni, currently held hostage in one of the putschists’ prisons in Egypt, to attend UMNO’s annual general assembly, Wednesday, December 4, along with official delegations from 42 countries, under the auspices of the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Attending on behalf of Dr. Katatni were MP Reda Fahmi, Chairman of the Foreign Relations and National Security Committee at Egypt's Shura Council (Upper House of the Egyptian Parliament); and Dr. AbdulMawgoud Dardery, member of the Foreign Relations Committee at the People's Assembly (currently disbanded Lower House) and leading member of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).

Dr. Dardery delivered the following speech on behalf of Dr. Katatni:

First, let me greet you with the greeting of peace, Assalamu Alykum – peace be upon you…

Thank you for your kind invitation.

Thanks for the Malaysian government, for leading the Global Movement for Moderation.

Personally, I am very happy because my PhD is on how to promote moderation between Muslims and Christians, Arabs and Westerners.

On the national level, I am very disappointed because my party’s elected Chairman Dr. Saad Katatni, the head of the ruling party (the FJP), as well as the first ever democratically elected President of Egypt Dr. Mohamed Morsi are held hostages by the military junta.

When Might is Right and when Bullets are better than Ballots, moderation disappears, my friends.

Moderation is not a birth right. It is a choice. Just like democracy.

On July 3rd, forces of extremism tried to take over the country: Extremist liberals aligned themselves with extremist military leaders and committed five crimes against moderation in Egypt:

1. Kidnapping Egypt’s first democratically-elected President

2. Disbanding the Upper House of Parliament

3. Suspending the country’s Constitution

4. Killing thousands of peaceful protestors, injuring thousands more.

5. Taking more than 15000 political prisoners, including the country’s President and the speakers of both (Upper and Lower) Houses of Parliament as well as many elected members of parliament.

Finally, on behalf of the FJP’s Kidnapped Chairman Dr. Saad Katatni, I appeal to you all to stand by the people of Egypt, to help them move towards moderation and away from extremism, through the following steps:

1. Condemn the Military Coup: Never again should a military control a democracy.

2. Pressure the coup regime to release all prisoners.

3. Allow the injured to receive necessary treatment without fear of being arrested.